Disposable inking device for printing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An inking device for use in conjunction with a printing apparatus such as a postage metering machine which is disposable when the ink supply is exhausted. A one piece plastic unit has a holding element for an ink absorbing pad and a cover member for enclosing the pad. The cover member being connected to the holding element by means of a frangible hinge connection which facilitates ready removal of the cover member from the holding element for use of the ink device.

ilnited States Patent [1 1 Lahore 1 March 6, 1973 1 DISPOSABLE INKING DEVICE FOR PRINTING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Walter T. Lahore, Stamford, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, lnc., Stamford, Conn.

[22] Filed: Nov. 23, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 91,840

[52] U.S. Cl ..101/335 [51] Int. Cl. ..B41f 31/24 Field of Search ..l01/335, 364, 333, 334,101, 101/108, 202, 210; 118/264; 264/268, 274,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,952,862 9/1960 Lyon ..1 18/264 X 2,687,157 8/1954 Cowan ..264/242 X 3,255,928 6/1966 Foster ..2l5/41 X 3,216,352 11/1965 Schnackel ..10l/333 Primary Examiner-J. Reed Fisher Attorney-William D. Soltow, Jr., Albert W. Scribner, Martin D. Wittstein and Louis A. Tirelli [5 7 ABSTRACT An inking device for use in conjunction with a printing apparatus such as a postage metering machine which is disposable when the ink supply is exhausted. A one piece plastic unit has a holding element for an ink absorbing pad and a cover member for enclosing the pad. The cover member being connected to the holding element by means of a frangible hinge connection which facilitates ready removal of the cover member from the holding element for use of the ink device.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR ems 3,719,143

INVENTOR WA LTER T. LA BORE /am um ATTORNEY DISPOSABLE TNKING DEVICE FOR PRINTXNG APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to inking devices for use with printing apparatus and more particularly to a disposable inking device for use in conjunction with the printing apparatus of a postage metering machine.

Such postage metering machines have long been well known and generally include a register mechanism by which a desired amount of postage can be set to be printed upon an envelope when the latter is inserted into the machine. The machine also includes a printing apparatus for effecting the printing on an envelope of the postage as determined by the setting of the register mechanism together with an appropriate design which constitutes the entire postage mark impression placed on the envelope as is well known in the art.

Many significant and highly troublesome problems have long existed in regard to the procedure and means for supplying ink to the die member of the printing apparatus of postage metering machines. These problems arise from the facts, firstly, that such machines must be as small and compact as is reasonably possible, thereby limiting the space available for a large or elaborate inking system. At the same time, the printing apparatus of the metering machines must be capable of printing many thousands of impressions without the necessity for replenishing the ink supply. The importance of this will be readily appreciated where it is understood that many metering machines are used in connection with high volume bulk mailing in which thousands of pieces of mail may have postage impressions applied thereto during a single mailing which would be seriously detrimentally effected by the necessity for continuous replenishing of the ink supply. Further, the ink supply is usable only so long as the printing apparatus delivers a reasonably dark clear impression since it is essential that the postage amount be clearly readable and that the impression itself be machine recognizable as is customarily done in most large post offices.

Thus, a postage metering machine must either have a substantially large ink supply or it must be constructed and arranged to be readily resupplyable.

This latter requirement has been quite troublesome in the case of small models of postage metering machines which simply cannot provide for a large ink supply with an elaborate inking system, either by way of the space required for this or by way of the cost of the mechanism required. Accordingly, these metering machines are customarily provided with an ink absorbing pad which is contacted either by the impression die of the printing apparatus directly or by an intermediate transfer roller which subsequently applies the ink to the impression die immediately preceding the printing of the postage impression of the envelope. The inking pad must, of course, be resupplied with ink where the ink in the pad has been depleted to the point where satisfactory impressions are no longer printed by the printing apparatus.

This procedure has customarily required that the user of the metering machine remove a metal holder from the machine which contains the ink absorbing pad and add a quantity of ink to the pad from a suitable container in which the ink is supplied. There are several disadvantageous and undesirable features attendant with this procedure, in that postage meter ink is very messy to handle and permanently stains anything it is accidentally spilled upon. Also, if too much ink is applied to the pad, the excess ink may run over the pad in the printing apparatus and cause damage or malfunction thereto and also produce a smeared impression on the envelope during the next several printing operations. Insufficient reinking of the pad, on the other hand, will require more frequent repeating of the above procedure with its attendant disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates or completely eliminates the foregoing disadvantages of present postage metering machine inking arrangements in a highly simple, efficient and inexpensive manner and accordingly constitutes a significant improvement in the state of the art.

The present invention provides a disposable inking device for use with a printing apparatus and comprises generally a holding element having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls and containing an ink absorbing pad therein, a cover member dimensioned to fit over the holding element in overlying relationship with the ink pad and a frangible hinge means interconnecting the holding element and the cover member thereby to facilitate opening and closing of the cover member and removal of the cover member from the holding element for association of the holding element with the printing apparatus.

In the preferred embodiment of the inking device, the holder and the cover member and the hinge means are all molded as a one piece plastic unit with the hinge means being designed and constructed so as to fracture at the juncture of the hinge means with the holding element so that the hinge means remains connected to the cover member and is discarded therewith. The holding element is also provided with an integral handle member so that the inking device can be manipulated without the necessity for contacting the holder adjacent the ink pad therein.

Having briefly described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is a principal object thereof to provide a disposable inking device for a printing apparatus which avoids the disadvantages of prior art inking devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable inking device for a printing apparatus which is easily manufactured and assembled, and which can be stored for extended periods prior to use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a disposable inking device fora printing apparatus which is neat and clean to handle and which avoids the necessity for handling bulk ink.

It is yet another object of the present invention to I provide a disposable inking device for a printing apparatus which is inexpensive, durable and highly efficient in use.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from an understanding of the following description of a preferred embodiment on the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an inking device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the inking device of FIG. 1 with the cover member in place.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the inking device of FIG. 1 with the cover member in an opened position.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the inking device showing the connection between the holding element and the cover member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the several views of the drawings, the inking device of the present invention, generally indicated by the reference numberal 10, is seen to comprise a holding element 12 which is preferably of elongate rectangular shape and had a bottom wall 14 and upstanding side walls 16 and 18 and end walls 20 and 22.

The holding element 12 contains an ink absorbing pad 24 which is dimensioned to fit within the holding element 12 and which contains a quantity of ink stored therein. The pad 24 is formed of any desirable resilient porous foam material having the capability of absorbing and holding a quantity of ink and of causing the ink to flow sufficiently to replace ink at the surface layer of the foam material as ink is withdrawn therefrom by successive printing operations of the printing apparatus. The ink pad 24 has a thickness such that the upper exposed surface thereof is substantially even with the free edges of the upstanding side and end walls of the holding element 12.

The inking device further comprises a cover member 26 which is dimensioned generally to fit over the holding element 12 in overlying relationship with the ink pad 24. The cover member 26 has a top wall 28 and depending side flanges 30 and 32 and end flanges 34 and 36, the several flanges of the cover member being adapted to lie outside of and in contiguous relation with the corresponding walls of the holding element 12. v

In order to separably and moveably join the cover member 26 to the holding element 12, a frangible hinge means is provided in the form of a pairof tabs or strips 38 and 40 which are disposed adjacent one end of the holding element 12. As best seen in FIG. 4, the strips 38 and 40 are connected to the end wall of the holding element 12 and to the end flange 34 of the cover member 26 to form a hinge by means of which the cover member 26 can be opened and closed relative to the holding element 12.

The strips 38 and 40 are formed to be fracturable by ordinary pulling force exerted between the cover member and the holding element. Preferably, as best seen in FIG. 4, the strips 38 and 40 are elongate and relatively thin in cross section and are wider at the juncture of the strips with the flange 34 of the cover member than they are at the juncture of the strips with the end wall 20 of the holding element. Thus, there is a greater area of connection of the strips 38 and 40 with the cover member than there is with the holding element with the result that the former area of joinder will resist fracturing to a greater extent than the latter area of joinder so that the hinge strips will fracture from the holding element 12 and remain connected to the cover member 26 when the two members are pulled apart. Thus the hinge strips will not in any way interfer with the proper insertion of the holding element into the postage metering machine.

For ease of handling the inking device without contacting the ink holding pad or the holding element adjacent the pad, the holding element 12 is provided with a handle member 42 which extends from the end wall 22, and the cover member 26 is provided with a lifting tab 44 which extends, from the end flange 36, the handle member 42 being bent generally away from the tab 44 to facilitate simultaneously grasping the handle member 42 and the lifting tab 44 with the thumb and index finger of both hands to open the cover and to separate the cover member from the holding element.

It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the end wall 22 is provided with a locking tab 46 which engages with a similar locking tab 48 formed on the end flange 36 of the cover member to maintain the cover member in closed relationship with the holding element.

The inking device of the present invention is extremely simple to manufacture and assemble in that the entire device is molded in a single molding step as a one piece material unit. After the device is removed from the mold, the pad 24 is inserted into the holding element 12, either in the pre-inked condition or dry after which ink is added, and the cover member is then closed, thereby allowing casual handling of the inking device without threat of spilling ink or of contacting any ink covered member. The inking device may be stored in a sealed plastic bag for an indefinite period.

To use the device the cover member is opened in the manner mentioned above and is separated from the holding element by pulling until the hinge strips fracture at the locations described above, after which the cover member is discarded and the holding element is inserted into the postage metering machine in the prescribed manner according to the particular struc-.

tural configuration of the printing apparatus which, of course, is adapted to receive and hold the holding element and ink pad in an operative position associated with the printing die of the printing apparatus. When there is no longer sufficient ink to deliver a proper postage meter impression, the holding element is removed by means of the handle member 42 and a fresh inking device is inserted into the postage metering machine.

It will be seen that, in addition to possessing the manufacturing and utilitarian advantages first mentioned, the device of the present invention also assures that proper quantity of ink is always replaced into the postage metering machine, that no ink will be spilled either outside or inside of the machine and that the user a holding element having a bottom wall and upstandv ing side walls,

an ink absorbing member disposed in said holding element,

acover member dimensioned to fit over said holding element in overlying relationship with said ink absorbing element, and

frangible hinge means interconnecting holding element and said cover member thereby facilitating the opening and closing of said cover member and removal of said cover member from said holding element for association of the latter with a printing apparatus, said holding element, said cover member and said frangible hinge means being a plastic material and an integral one piece unit, said frangible hinge means comprising a pair of relatively thin tabs joined to said holding element and to said cover member at adjacent edges thereof, said tabs being sufficiently flexible to withstand repeated bending yet sufficiently thin so as to break under applied ordinary pulling force, and said tabs being thinest and most fracturable at the juncture of said tabs with said holding element whereby said tabs remain connected to said cover member when the latter is removed from said holding element.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said tabs are formed to be elongate and are relatively wider at the juncture of said tabs with said cover member and relatively narrower at the juncture of said tabs with said holding element whereby said tabs are most fracturable at said latter juncture.

3. A disposable inking device for use with a printing apparatus comprising:

a holding element having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls,

an ink absorbing member disposed in said holding element,

a cover member dimensioned to fit over said holding element in overlying relationship with said ink absorbing element, and

frangible hinge means interconnecting holding element and said cover member thereby facilitating the opening and closing of said cover member and removal of said cover member from said holding element for association of the latter with a printing apparatus, the side wall of said holding element opposite said frangible hinge means comprising a wall section which extends normally from the bottom wall and a locking tab which extends from said wall section in the direction away from said ink absorbing member, at least an upper portion of the ends of said wall section and the ends of said locking tabs being unattached to other portions of said holding element, so as to provide free lateral movement, and said cover member having a top wall and upstanding side wall, the said wall of said cover members remote from said frangible hinge means comprising a wall section which extends normally from said top wall and a locking tab extending from said cover member wall section in the direction toward said ink absorbing member, at least a portion of the ends of said cover member wall section and the ends of said cover member locking tab being unattached to other portions of said cover member so as to provide free lateral movement, said holding element locking tab and said cover member locking tab serving to be positionable for cooperation in locking said cover member to said holding element. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein a lifting tab extends from said cover member wall section, proximate said cover member locking tab and in the direction away from said locking tab, whereby said disposable inking device can be opened by simultaneously pushing said handle element away from said lifting. tab and consequently moving said cover member locking tab away from said holder element locking tab.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said handle member extends from said holding element in a direction generally away from said cover member lifting tab. 

1. A disposable inking device for use with a printing apparatus comprising: a holding element having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, an ink absorbing member disposed in said holding element, a cover member dimensioned to fit over said holding element in overlying relationship with said ink absorbing element, and frangible hinge means interconnecting holding element and said cover member thereby facilitating the opening and closing of said cover member and removal of said cover member from said holding element for association of the latter with a printing apparatus, said holding element, said cover member and said frangible hinge means being a plastic material and an integral one piece unit, said frangible hinge means comprising a pair of relatively thin tabs joined to said holding element and to said cover member at adjacent edges thereof, said tabs being sufficiently flexible to withstand repeated bending yet sufficiently thin so as to break under applied ordinary pulling force, and said tabs being thinest and most fracturable at the juncture of said tabs with said holding element whereby said tabs remain connected to said cover member when the latter is removed from said holding element.
 1. A disposable inking device for use with a printing apparatus comprising: a holding element having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, an ink absorbing member disposed in said holding element, a cover member dimensioned to fit over said holding element in overlying relationship with said ink absorbing element, and frangible hinge means interconnecting holding element and said cover member thereby facilitating the opening and closing of said cover member and removal of said cover member from said holding element for association of the latter with a printing apparatus, said holding element, said cover member and said frangible hinge means being a plastic material and an integral one piece unit, said frangible hinge means comprising a pair of relatively thin tabs joined to said holding element and to said cover member at adjacent edges thereof, said tabs being sufficiently flexible to withstand repeated bending yet sufficiently thin so as to break under applied ordinary pulling force, and said tabs being thinest and most fracturable at the juncture of said tabs with said holding element whereby said tabs remain connected to said cover member when the latter is removed from said holding element.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said tabs are formed to be elongate and are relatively wider at the juncture of said tabs with said cover member and relatively narrower at the juncture of said tabs with said holding element whereby said tabs are most fracturable at said latter juncture.
 3. A disposable inking device for use with a printing apparatus comprising: a holding element having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, an ink absorbing member disposed in said holding element, a cover member dimensioned to fit over said holding element in overlying relationship with said ink absorbing element, and frangible hinge means interconnecting holding element and said cover member thereby facilitating the opening and closing of said cover member and removal of said cover member from said holding element for association of the latter with a printing apparatus, the side wall of said holding element opposite said frangible hinge means comprising a wall section which extends normally from the bottom wall and a locking tab which extends from said wall section in the direction away from saiD ink absorbing member, at least an upper portion of the ends of said wall section and the ends of said locking tabs being unattached to other portions of said holding element, so as to provide free lateral movement, and said cover member having a top wall and upstanding side wall, the said wall of said cover members remote from said frangible hinge means comprising a wall section which extends normally from said top wall and a locking tab extending from said cover member wall section in the direction toward said ink absorbing member, at least a portion of the ends of said cover member wall section and the ends of said cover member locking tab being unattached to other portions of said cover member so as to provide free lateral movement, said holding element locking tab and said cover member locking tab serving to be positionable for cooperation in locking said cover member to said holding element.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein a lifting tab extends from said cover member wall section, proximate said cover member locking tab and in the direction away from said locking tab, whereby said disposable inking device can be opened by simultaneously pushing said handle element away from said lifting tab and consequently moving said cover member locking tab away from said holder element locking tab. 